Challenger_7,

I am glad to hear that you enjoy choices, because that is what I am known for at work. Not to mention I like to know my options before moving forward on a decision. I hope you where at the track with the BMW 325, I have seen too many muscle cars destroyed while road racing than I care to mention. Let alone those who have lost their life while doing so, or killed someone else while doing so. I will not pretend that I never done anything like that, because I am guilty as hell, but I no longer act the ways I did in my younger (dumber) days. I just seen to many people die in my 23 years. That is it for my 2 cents.
Now let’s get back to that engine! I will not go into detail, because I will make this post into a small book, but I write it to give you the basic information you need, to do some research on your own (please read the links I gave you, most of your questions would have been answered there). You must remember that an internal combustion engine is only an air pump. Suck, squeeze, bang, blow. You can get good street manners for any cubic inch motor. It comes down to four major factors for street/strip manners; Compression ratio, Cam, torque converter (Auto transmission), and (finale) rear-end gear ratio. The biggest of the four is the cam that you select. All of your components must match. If you have engine set up for low RPM Tq/HP (intake, cam, rockers, headers…) and a high stall torque converter with 4.10:1 gears or greater, you will be outside of your Tq/HP RPM range before it does you any good. You will have lead sled that could not get out of it own way! Basically you will be like one of those ricers that just make more noise when the gas pedal is pressed, but don’t go any faster.
Cam: The cam is the heart of your power train’s manners. There are street, strip (race only), and street/strip cams. Street/Strip cams have a grind that is in between a true street and true strip cam. It is a compromise of the LSA (lobe separation angle), lift, and duration; the three dimensions of any cam.
Compression Ratio (CR): The volume of the cylinder at the bottom of the intake stroke compared to the volume of the cylinder at the top of the compression stroke. This can be changed by the; piston, deck height, cylinder head gasket thickness, and cylinder head volume. The max that your engine can handle with out detonation depends on the timing, cylinder head design (open VS closed head), cylinder head material (aluminum VS iron), and the cam. The cam does not play part of the calculation of CR, but it does determine the amount of fuel/air mixture gets into the cylinder. You could have a CR of 14:1 with iron heads (will detonate w/pump gas), but if your cam only let fuel/air in during ½ of the intake stroke (extreme exaggeration). You will not put enough fuel/air into the cylinder to allow detonation to occur at that extreme CR.
Torque converter and rear end gear ratio are big factors in both your cruising RPM, and performance. If you want a car to take to the drag track, from time to time you will want an engine with upper RPM Tq and HP, combined with a high stall torque converter and some tall gears. The down side is that that your cruising (highway) RPMs will be high. You can always get an over drive tranny, or Gear Vendors overdrive unit to counter act this to give you the best of both worlds.
Over all, you can have a good street/strip 470 engine that will blow the doors off most cars out there. The SB/BB means small block, or big block. Chrysler had two types of “BB” the BB, and the RB. I will let you read the link to get those definitions.

“Give a man an answer on the internet, and he will only know how to ask questions. Teach a man how to find answers on the internet, and he will always be on the internet (finding out cool stuff)” LOL.

I know as much as a do by researching my questions. I started out asking my dad (T/F drag racing since 1972) questions. Then I did further research to expand that knowledge. If you really want to know what to build you need to know what you want to be able to do with your ride, and then see what others have done to get there. I am not trying to be rude, there is just too much to put here, I type slow, and I am at work. I hope this is enough to get you started. Once you read everything and then formulate questions using that knowledge, feel free to ask some more. About 3,000 more Mopar motor heads and I (also D72hemi) are on the www.Dodgecharger.com site. Not that this site is bad, it is just geared more towards new Mopar, and the other is geared towards pre 1974 Mopar muscle.

I almost forgot, the only difference between Magnum (HP blocks) and regular motors is the cam. You will not use a HP cam with a stroker motor anyway.

Now say all that 5 times real fast. LOL.

Ian

 

Ian, I am impressed and greatful for the time you have put in to guide me.
Ok, so its back to school!!!
I have read and will do so again, all what you have written, and research the sites, which I have already started to do, and copied all there is in them to digest them at my own pace, and then come up with more questions.
One thing though, the 440source does not have an e-mail to communicate with. I live in Lebanon (Middle East) and would rather communicate with them by e-mail. Any idea if they have one?
Also amongst the kits they have, I did not see one that makes the 400 block into more than 440, whereas it takes the 383 beyond that. Am I missing something here?

As for taking on the BMW, yes it was on the road as I get challenged often, but only choose to respond to cars that I feel I can beat and on grounds that are safe. I have done enough crazy driving in my youth to be careful about it now, but really appreciate your advice there

Thanks a bunch again, buddy, and will talk again soon, either here or on the Dodgecharger.com

Regards

 

Challenger_7

It is a small world! I am in Qatar right now. Come summer time I will be in Iraq. To answer your questions go to, http://www.440source.com/strokerkits.htm the 400 stroker kits are a little more than ½ down the page. There is also a funny “warning” section at the bottom of the page. I just called 440 source, they took their e-mail address off of the web page because they were getting a few hundred e-mails a month asking for information already contained on the website, and almost nothing related to sales. I did get the e-mail address for a nice lady in their sales department, I will PM you her e-mail address. I also for got to cover your question about resonators in my last reply. Resonators are similar to mufflers. They are used to change the tone of the exhaust, rather than quite it a bit like traditional mufflers. If I remember right (I left my Year One catalog with the pictures, in the US), e-bodies with Hemis, 440 six packs, and high performance 440 4V (four barrel, “V” actually stands for venture), and maybe other engines, had a resonator after the high flow muffler. This gave those cars even more of a “rumble” and “growl” to the exhaust sound.
What is the history of your car? Was it originally exported, or did it make its way over seas latter in life? Are there a lot of old US muscle cars in Lebanon? I have only seen one Challenger in Iraq, it was a yellow 73 sunroof car. Unfortunately it had little bit if fire damage, along with some bullet holes. I am always glad to hear that a common interest in cars can often bring people together, even if they are across the world from each other, or have some other type of “boundary” between them. Take care, and have fun with your Challenger!

Ian
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Hi Ian, and thanks again for your assistance.
With what you are saying, surely you may land in Lebanon at sometime!! If you can make it, it will be my pleasure to take you round. Let me know any time.

My car's history is not clear to me as the person I bought it from had died and I got it from his children who know little about its history, as their father had bought it from someone else. But it is definately an export with kilometer speedo.

Lebanon used to be very much American car oriented till late seventies when japs and european cars were taking over. So quite a few muscle cars were seen around, but getting rare by the day. I am trying my best to grab the good ones that I can get. Some that are a real exception, I will keep, but others I will restore and sell.
I only started collecting muscle a year ago, but prior to that I was more on European cars.

On the muscle side, I now have the following:
383 conv 71 Chally manual gear, 383 Chally 71 R/T Original, 400 modified engine 71 Chally, 70 Chally with SB engine, 72 Charger with SE 360 engine, Plymouth 72 Sattelite 360 engine, 72 Trans Am 455 HO, 74 Trans Am 400 (4X engine), 79 Trans Am 400, 72 Camaro 350 SS (modified engine), 74 Corvette Stingray T top 350 eng, 66 Mustang coupe 6 cyl, and 56 Desoto fireflite.

Some of these cars need cosmetics or partial restoration, but all of them are road worthy.

I really appreciate your going through the trouble of getting me the e-mail for 440source. I really wondered how come they do not have an e-mail.
I will keep you posted with my progress on the convertible car as this one is really my favourite. I have already placed an order with yearone for just over a hundred items in order to fully restore it, and I intend changing its color to a more "funky" one, but for sure white interior. That is why, I also want to put a "nice" engine inside

I already enjoy driving it as it is, and look forward to enjoying it more when fully restored.

Please keep in touch. Best regards

Farouk